How to Keep My Dog Hydrated When Sick

Few things are worse than a sick dog, especially when you are worried you can’t make them feel better. One easy way to ease some of your dog’s suffering is by rehydrating them. Dogs can lose a lot of fluids if they’ve been vomiting or experiencing diarrhea, so check out these tips to ensure your dog is plenty hydrated when sick!

Dog Dehydration: What Is it?

• Dog dehydration happens when a dog’s normal fluid intake stops making up for water loss. This can be especially dangerous when your pup is sick. Their blood flow slows and their oxygen level is reduced. Severe dehydration occurs as their electrolyte level plummets, affecting important bodily functions such as muscle and nerve actions.

  Pet owners might need to seek a vet immediately to treat dog dehydration. In extreme cases, a dog can experience organ failure as a dog’s body shuts down.

How Dehydration In Dogs Happens

• Often, the main cause of dehydration is simply poor access to a fresh water bowl. If a dog’s water bowl is constantly empty, there is no way they can actually stay hydrated. Please make sure your dog always has fresh water so they can drink water as needed.

• Heatstroke and Sudden illnesses that cause vomit, fever, and diarrhea can quickly lead to severe dehydration in dogs. Certain dogs are more susceptible to dehydration than others, such as mother dogs and their puppies, elderly dogs, and dogs with a lower body weight like toy breeds.

• Even if provided with fresh water, some dogs might need a little bit of reinforcement to drink enough water. Hard exercise and heavy panting can also affect a dog’s water intake, especially in hot weather. Make sure your dog has enough shade and water on those hot days!

How Do I Know If My Dog Is Dehyrated

Because they cannot tell us when they need to drink water, pet owners must know the tell-tale signs of dehydration in dogs. According to Dr. Jerry Klein at the AKC, symptoms include loss of appetite, vomiting, no energy, tight skin, drooling, as well as dry eyes, eyes, nose, and gums. In addition to dryness, a dog’s gums might also be pale.

Dr. Klein tells us that you can also test your furry friend for skin elasticity as a sign of dehydration. Well-hydrated dogs will have springy skin, a sick dog’s skin will slowly go back into place when you gently pinch their skin.

Treating Canine Dehydration for Dog Owners

Subtly leaving a few water bowls around your house can encourage your dog to start slurpin’! Try placing water bowls in different rooms, and be sure to check them periodically to make sure they’re fresh and filled. With more water bowls to manage, it can be easy to forget to clean them, but when your dog is ill, it’s extra important to scrub the bacteria from your bowls daily!

How To Encourage Your Dog To Drink Water

Sometimes plain water is not enough. Here are some tips to get your dog to drink enough water.

• Add wet food to your dog’s water bowl

• Add ice cubes

• Make a special dog drink with low sodium broth

• Give them frozen dog treats

Monitor water intake

• Monitoring your canine companion’s drinking gives you a good idea of how much water they drink. If you feel like their water bowl is always full, make sure they have a clean bowl and try some of the above tips to reinforce healthy drinking habits.

Boost Their Electrolytes

Similar to Gatorade, Pedialyte is an age-old trick to rehydrate humans. As it turns out, Pedialyte is also safe for dogs! Sneak some flavorless Pedialyte into their water to give them an extra boost of electrolytes.

Give them some Bouillon

Chicken or beef bouillon broth is another great way to rehydrate your sick pup. Your dog will be enticed by the delightful smell and the broth will also provide some nutritional value for them. Although it’s salty, this may be the easiest way to get your dog the hydration they need!

Try Ice Chips

If your dog is completely rejecting water, ice chips are a genius hack to rehydrate your sick pup. They’ll love having something to chew on and the ice chips will give them the H2O that they need to get better. Give your pooch ice chips several times during the day to boost their hydration!

Rehydrating your dog is crucial to their health after they’re ill. Try these tips to get your dog back in tip-top shape!

Good Hydration Means A Good Well-Being

• By making sure your pup drinks enough fluids, you will help prevent dehydration and any health issues. Besides being great for their overall health, being well-hydrated promotes electrolyte balance, as well as good body temperature, digestion, and healthy organs.

• Being well-hydrated means dogs will have more energy to go adventuring with their owner!

• Dogs that stay hydrated tend to have shiny coats and good skin and are at less risk of life-threatening illness.